Attachment and Psychosomatic Medicine: Developmental Contributions to Stress and Disease

Abstract

Although the available data are suggestive rather than conclusive, the data can be organized into a model that describe attachment insecurity leading to disease risk through three mechanisms. These are increased susceptibility to stress, increased use of external regulators of affect, and altered help-seeking behavior. This model warrants further prospective investigation.

Rem sleep, early experience, and the development of reproductive strategies

“…Mirmiran and colleagues found significant reductions in cerebral cortex and medulla oblongata volumes in rats that had been treated as neonates with REM suppressant agents. These data are consistent with the large literature on effects of attachment-related early psychosocial stress on later adult functioning and health, including adult cortisol levels, adult stature, and sleep quality (see Maunder and Hunter 2001 for a review).…”

Modulation of dental anxiety — the role of past experiences, psychopathologic traits and individual attachment patterns

“…Thus, the internal working model that provides consistency to the pattern of behaviour that emerges at the presence of a perceived threat is a trait. 15 In the present study the strongest predictor of the decrease in dental anxiety over time (∆DAS) was the subjects' evaluation of their past and present dentists, followed by the secure and avoidant patterns of attachment. Concomitantly, avoidant and ambivalent attachment patterns were the best predicting factors of subjects' evaluation of their present dentist.…”

“…52 Attachment insecurity could lead to increased disease risk. 15 Attachment contributed to individual differences in stress physiological response, and insecure attachment led to symptom reporting and more frequent health risk behaviours, such as treatment non-adherence. Similarly, in the present study, the subjects' ability to deal with the stress associated with dental treatment was directly associated with both past and present experiences, as well as with their attachment pattern.…”

“…14 Furthermore, attachment insecurity leads to higher susceptibility to stress, increased use of external regulators of affect, and altered helpseeking behaviour. 15 Thus, it could possibly influence the subject's ability to regulate affect in an emotionally stressing situation, such as dental treatment.…”

Genetic variation in MAOA modulates ventromedial prefrontal circuitry mediating individual differences in human personality

“…Epidemiological research shows that personality affects stress resilience, psychosocial adaptation and risk for mental and physical disease. [1][2][3][4] Considerable interest has therefore been directed at uncovering the biological basis of personality. Cloninger proposed an influential operationalization of personality, a tripartite model based hypothetically on neurotransmitter neurobiology with three basic stimulus-response characteristics: Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependence, measured by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and thought to be related to dopaminergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, respectively.…”